This class has completely changed the way I write. In the past, I have been limited by my instructor to a very strict and concise way of writing. It was to the point that she had a template for every sentence of every paragraph that we wrote. After two years of that, I cannot express how amazing it felt to actually have my own voice in my own writing, and not some robotic conformity to how others thought I should sound. It had my victories and my absolute face down failures in this course, but I am walking away with not only a better understanding of what writing should be, but also of what my true voice is.
Now don’t get me wrong, this class has been far from easy. However, it was challenging in the exact way that I needed. I knew that everything that I have written in the last two years is total garbage, because that is what I had been programmed to write. That garbage was supposed to get me the grade, instead of actually allowing me to talk about how I felt on the topic. This class liberated me from that programming. My words came out of my brain, not out of the word bank instructors felt would better express “my voice”. And with this new freedom, I was able to grow as a writer.
The first thing that I think was strengthened this is my pride in my writing. It has been a long time since I have been able to say I enjoyed or even was proud of the work I produced. As I near the end of this class, I now am able to say both. I rediscovered my voice, but also my love for writing. The transition from my old rules which had been so pounded into my head that I could recite them in my sleep was not a smooth one. As I wrote more and more the road became exceedingly less bumpy and I am now at a point that I and comfortable writing.
Another strength that I have gained in this class is my ability to draw in the reader. When I started this class, my hooks were non-existent. Over the course of this class I was able to go from “The PSEC motto “Be the change you wish to see in the world” is something we all should adopt.” too “The PSEC motto is the basis of which society should be built.” My introductory skills moved from the top of my cons list to the top of my pros. This class had a big part in that change.
I have also never enjoyed writing about history and this class changed that too. In high school the sources we were allowed to use were very limited. Whether that is because of the dismal library resources or the “security” blocks on the computer, credible resources were few and far between. I even had one teacher tell me to just make up statistics, that no one really ever checked our sources. This class completely changed the way that I support my writing. It gave me a chance to access real resources from credible sources. I learned how to do much more efficient research, as well as how to cite the sources I found correctly.
However, there is a defiantly still weakness that I need to address. My vocabulary is weak, to put it nicely. All my writing classes focused more on words that weren’t even in some dictionaries, instead words I could actually use. Because of this I have gotten into the habit of using a thesaurus pretty much every other sentence. That habit is probably the hardest one I have to break. Like the rest of my former weaknesses though, as time goes on I feel more and more confident in my abilities.
As the end of this class comes closer, I feel that my writing strength has improved immensely. My love for writing has returned, which was something I thought a few months ago was not possible. I am sad to see this class end, and I wish that it went much longer than one quarter. But what I have learned and gained in this quarter is going to stay with me for the rest of my life, and I am forever grateful for the sense of pride that it gave me for my writing.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Portfolio: Entrance Essay
The PSEC motto is the basis of which society should be built. Especially in this day and age, when so many are in need and so many others have the means to help. When there are so many ways to get involved and support today, to possibly change someone’s life, it’s a shame that so many of us choose not to. That is why in this last year I have chosen to be active.
In years past, I have wasted summer after summer sitting in front of the television. To combat the urge to waste away my hours, I taught myself how to knit and crochet. After the first few weeks however I began to realize I had no use for most of the things I was making. Instead of stopping and giving in to the television once again, I decided to find out a way that I could put my new skills to good use. Through this I found out about Project Linus.
Project Linus is a charity for children who have prolonged stays in hospitals. They provide them with hand made quilts to help make there stays at least a little more bearable. Over the past ten years they have collected over 20,000 blankets for kids ranging from infants to teenagers. Though I am still working on my first Project Linus blanket, I have caught the charitable bug and I have started to look for other organizations such as the FPRR (Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation) which I have just found recently.
I believe that everyone who has the chance to make a difference in the world should strive too. Without people willing to make a change, we would all be stuck in the same place. I found something I could do well, and found a way that I could use it to help others. We all have that power, it just takes the initiative.
In years past, I have wasted summer after summer sitting in front of the television. To combat the urge to waste away my hours, I taught myself how to knit and crochet. After the first few weeks however I began to realize I had no use for most of the things I was making. Instead of stopping and giving in to the television once again, I decided to find out a way that I could put my new skills to good use. Through this I found out about Project Linus.
Project Linus is a charity for children who have prolonged stays in hospitals. They provide them with hand made quilts to help make there stays at least a little more bearable. Over the past ten years they have collected over 20,000 blankets for kids ranging from infants to teenagers. Though I am still working on my first Project Linus blanket, I have caught the charitable bug and I have started to look for other organizations such as the FPRR (Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation) which I have just found recently.
I believe that everyone who has the chance to make a difference in the world should strive too. Without people willing to make a change, we would all be stuck in the same place. I found something I could do well, and found a way that I could use it to help others. We all have that power, it just takes the initiative.
Portfolio: Essay 2
Being from Maryland some may say that my decision to become a patriot in these last few years was made for me. For some reason my being from a predominantly patriotic state, my surroundings have influenced my abilities to make an informed decision on my own. (Alden Allan 283-292) However that is not true. I am a patriot because I am standing up for my rights. I am tired of being a subordinate to an evil master, who only has their best interest in mind instead of mine.
Through and through I am a patriot. In my point of view, there is no turning back anymore. Thomas Paine said it best when he said, “A new method of thinking hath arisen” (Paine 28). Too much has been done to the colonies, for us to go back to serving such an evil master. We have been oppressed and manipulated for far too long. All of our attempts at peace were ignored. Now it is time for action. We have some power against them that has certainly been demonstrated in the last few years. Not to mention we have also proved that we can govern ourselves, even in times of great stress. Not only that, but we are now to the point that reconciliation is near impossible. When our choices are, fight for the very slim chance that we can go back to being ruled by a corrupt government, or take up arms and fight for our rights and get to not only govern ourselves, but be able to keep a close eye on that government so that nothing like this ever happens again, the choice seems obvious to me. However nothing we do will work unless we come together to make the decision that will best benefit us all.
The New York committee of fifty-one hit it right on the head when they expressed that the situation we are currently in, involves not only just the patriots, or a few select colonies, but a whole continent. (New York Committee of Fifty-One). We have to come together and be organized if we have any hope of successfully facing the problems in front of us. England is exploiting our every weakness, and being unorganized is one of the biggest weaknesses we can have. In my home state we realized this, and now we have our own form of organized government. The Committee of 51 was also probably right when they said that “"No remedy can be of avail unless it proceeds from the joint acts and approbation of all."” but if we cannot convince the rest of the colonies of this, at least we will be prepared. No one should have to live in a government without rights.
Rights are important to everyone in the new world. When our ancestors first came over here, they came because it represented a new beginning and new opportunities for them. What should have been great new opportunities turned into horrible subjugation for all involved. For these reasons, in Maryland’s constitution has a very clear and open declaration of rights. The most important of which, in my opinion is “That freedom of speech and debate, or proceedings in the Legislature, ought not to be impeached in any Court of Judicature.” (Declaration of Rights Article 10). No more wrongful persecution of those who deserve no such punishment. This constitution represents everything we have fought for, everything we have won the right to have as Americans.
In my opinion, there are no legitimate reasons to stay loyal to the crown. You may say that my statehood has something to do with that. You may say that everyone and all the situations within Maryland have caused me to sway in one direction. But the way I see it, its only common sense. I don’t hate Britain, but I surely hate being oppressed by them. When I have the power to help create my own form of government that can be much more closely monitored, I see no reason not to take part.
Bibliography:
Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. 1776
New York Committee of Fifty-One, Letter from the New York Committee of Fifty-One to the Boston
----Committee of Correspondence. 1774.
Alden Allan, Anne. "Patriots and Loyalists: The Choice of Political Allegiances by the Members of
----Maryland's Proprietary Elite." The Journal of Southern History May 1972: 283-292.
Ninth Provincial Convention. Constitution of Maryland. Maryland State Archives
Through and through I am a patriot. In my point of view, there is no turning back anymore. Thomas Paine said it best when he said, “A new method of thinking hath arisen” (Paine 28). Too much has been done to the colonies, for us to go back to serving such an evil master. We have been oppressed and manipulated for far too long. All of our attempts at peace were ignored. Now it is time for action. We have some power against them that has certainly been demonstrated in the last few years. Not to mention we have also proved that we can govern ourselves, even in times of great stress. Not only that, but we are now to the point that reconciliation is near impossible. When our choices are, fight for the very slim chance that we can go back to being ruled by a corrupt government, or take up arms and fight for our rights and get to not only govern ourselves, but be able to keep a close eye on that government so that nothing like this ever happens again, the choice seems obvious to me. However nothing we do will work unless we come together to make the decision that will best benefit us all.
The New York committee of fifty-one hit it right on the head when they expressed that the situation we are currently in, involves not only just the patriots, or a few select colonies, but a whole continent. (New York Committee of Fifty-One). We have to come together and be organized if we have any hope of successfully facing the problems in front of us. England is exploiting our every weakness, and being unorganized is one of the biggest weaknesses we can have. In my home state we realized this, and now we have our own form of organized government. The Committee of 51 was also probably right when they said that “"No remedy can be of avail unless it proceeds from the joint acts and approbation of all."” but if we cannot convince the rest of the colonies of this, at least we will be prepared. No one should have to live in a government without rights.
Rights are important to everyone in the new world. When our ancestors first came over here, they came because it represented a new beginning and new opportunities for them. What should have been great new opportunities turned into horrible subjugation for all involved. For these reasons, in Maryland’s constitution has a very clear and open declaration of rights. The most important of which, in my opinion is “That freedom of speech and debate, or proceedings in the Legislature, ought not to be impeached in any Court of Judicature.” (Declaration of Rights Article 10). No more wrongful persecution of those who deserve no such punishment. This constitution represents everything we have fought for, everything we have won the right to have as Americans.
In my opinion, there are no legitimate reasons to stay loyal to the crown. You may say that my statehood has something to do with that. You may say that everyone and all the situations within Maryland have caused me to sway in one direction. But the way I see it, its only common sense. I don’t hate Britain, but I surely hate being oppressed by them. When I have the power to help create my own form of government that can be much more closely monitored, I see no reason not to take part.
Bibliography:
Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. 1776
New York Committee of Fifty-One, Letter from the New York Committee of Fifty-One to the Boston
----Committee of Correspondence. 1774.
Alden Allan, Anne. "Patriots and Loyalists: The Choice of Political Allegiances by the Members of
----Maryland's Proprietary Elite." The Journal of Southern History May 1972: 283-292.
Ninth Provincial Convention. Constitution of Maryland. Maryland State Archives
Portfolio: Final Exam Frame 1
Frame 1
America, arguably the strongest and most dominant power in the world, is fighting an uphill battle. This battle is not against some foreign power, or physical threat. This battle is against illiteracy. In this day and age, illiteracy is a problem most people don’t even realize is a severe as it is. However a large number of our population suffers with this problem. Illiteracy is a problem we have the ability and resources to fix, if more people would realize how real this problem is.
Geoffrey Meredith is one of those people. Meredith puts this problem in real perspective. One fifth of the American population is functionally illiterate. The level of illiteracy can vary within this group. From being so severe, that the seemingly simple everyday tasks become impossible, to problems with comprehension of more intense materials. These people who are still able to function in today’s society are still fighting an uphill battle against the advances in the world and technology. Meredith puts it best when she states that in today’s world, reading has become a survival skill.
Meredith also understands how strange this may seem to those who aren’t aware that this is such a problem. The assumption that our technology and advancements in this day in age have wiped out illiteracy is widespread, but completely false. Everywhere you look today you are surrounded by words. On television, billboards, newspapers, books, restaurants, stores, gas stations, almost everywhere there is print that is meant to be read. This would make most people think that we are a completely literate society, yet for almost 20 percent of us that is not the truth. There are probably people you know in your own lives who are illiterate, and you don’t have a clue.
I, in my own life I have experienced this problem. In my freshman year of high school I had a teacher that was very distraught that her son had just graduated high school in the same district she taught in, but his reading abilities were that of a first grader. He was turned down by every college he applied to, even though he had somehow managed to keep good grades. A friend I had in middle school through high school was illiterate the whole time I knew him and I had no idea. We all thought he was just being a stubborn rebel when he would refuse to read anything aloud in class, but the truth was he couldn’t. Who knows how many others there were in my high school. Maybe the ones sitting in the back weren’t just shy, but had a much more severe problem. That is why I believe that illiteracy needs to be addressed.
Illiteracy is a problem that must be stopped. The current ways things are don’t work. The no child left behind act has had little to an even adverse effect on our youth. Those who are having the most problems seem to be the ones receiving the least amount of help. With the state the public school system is in right now, we could see the illiteracy rates raise even higher in the coming years. As technology and the world around us advance more and more of our population will be left behind. We may already have the power to educate a huge portion of this demographic, and we are not using those resources.
One of those resources is our government. They have the power to make changes. Candidate after candidate in this last election built their platforms around environmental issues and foreign policy, when quite possibly our biggest threat stays unaddressed. The no child left behind act had the right idea. Its execution was not so on target. By taking some of the money away from other failing government projects, to properly fund public schools we could make a huge impact on this problem. There are fundraisers and organizations for everything you could possibly think of, but not nearly enough of them focus on illiteracy.
Illiteracy is a real problem in America. Its numbers have risen dramatically. We as a country have the power to fix this problem, yet we do nothing about it. Illiteracy could cripple us as a country. It is an underlying problem that needs to be brought to the front of the line. While one fifth of our people continue to struggle our government funnels money into corrupt Wall Street banks that refuse to quit their frivolous spending, and weapons contracts that will only cause more destruction. Fixing this problem would not result in wars, or economic crisis, yet we continue to ignore it. More people need to realize that this is a real problem like Geoffrey Meredith. It is only when people acknowledge the problem that we can fix it.
America, arguably the strongest and most dominant power in the world, is fighting an uphill battle. This battle is not against some foreign power, or physical threat. This battle is against illiteracy. In this day and age, illiteracy is a problem most people don’t even realize is a severe as it is. However a large number of our population suffers with this problem. Illiteracy is a problem we have the ability and resources to fix, if more people would realize how real this problem is.
Geoffrey Meredith is one of those people. Meredith puts this problem in real perspective. One fifth of the American population is functionally illiterate. The level of illiteracy can vary within this group. From being so severe, that the seemingly simple everyday tasks become impossible, to problems with comprehension of more intense materials. These people who are still able to function in today’s society are still fighting an uphill battle against the advances in the world and technology. Meredith puts it best when she states that in today’s world, reading has become a survival skill.
Meredith also understands how strange this may seem to those who aren’t aware that this is such a problem. The assumption that our technology and advancements in this day in age have wiped out illiteracy is widespread, but completely false. Everywhere you look today you are surrounded by words. On television, billboards, newspapers, books, restaurants, stores, gas stations, almost everywhere there is print that is meant to be read. This would make most people think that we are a completely literate society, yet for almost 20 percent of us that is not the truth. There are probably people you know in your own lives who are illiterate, and you don’t have a clue.
I, in my own life I have experienced this problem. In my freshman year of high school I had a teacher that was very distraught that her son had just graduated high school in the same district she taught in, but his reading abilities were that of a first grader. He was turned down by every college he applied to, even though he had somehow managed to keep good grades. A friend I had in middle school through high school was illiterate the whole time I knew him and I had no idea. We all thought he was just being a stubborn rebel when he would refuse to read anything aloud in class, but the truth was he couldn’t. Who knows how many others there were in my high school. Maybe the ones sitting in the back weren’t just shy, but had a much more severe problem. That is why I believe that illiteracy needs to be addressed.
Illiteracy is a problem that must be stopped. The current ways things are don’t work. The no child left behind act has had little to an even adverse effect on our youth. Those who are having the most problems seem to be the ones receiving the least amount of help. With the state the public school system is in right now, we could see the illiteracy rates raise even higher in the coming years. As technology and the world around us advance more and more of our population will be left behind. We may already have the power to educate a huge portion of this demographic, and we are not using those resources.
One of those resources is our government. They have the power to make changes. Candidate after candidate in this last election built their platforms around environmental issues and foreign policy, when quite possibly our biggest threat stays unaddressed. The no child left behind act had the right idea. Its execution was not so on target. By taking some of the money away from other failing government projects, to properly fund public schools we could make a huge impact on this problem. There are fundraisers and organizations for everything you could possibly think of, but not nearly enough of them focus on illiteracy.
Illiteracy is a real problem in America. Its numbers have risen dramatically. We as a country have the power to fix this problem, yet we do nothing about it. Illiteracy could cripple us as a country. It is an underlying problem that needs to be brought to the front of the line. While one fifth of our people continue to struggle our government funnels money into corrupt Wall Street banks that refuse to quit their frivolous spending, and weapons contracts that will only cause more destruction. Fixing this problem would not result in wars, or economic crisis, yet we continue to ignore it. More people need to realize that this is a real problem like Geoffrey Meredith. It is only when people acknowledge the problem that we can fix it.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Reflective Letter First Draft
This class has completely changed the way I write. In the past few years, I have been limited by my instructor to a very strict and concise way of writing. To the point that she had a template for every sentence of every paragraph that we wrote. I can not express how amazing it felt to actually have my own voice in my own writing, and not some robotic conformity to how others thought I should sound.
This class has been far from easy, but it was challenging in the exact way that I needed. I knew that all of my writing in the last two years, with the exception of one piece is total crap, because that is what I had been programmed to write. Crap that got the grade instead of actually allowing me to talk about how I felt on the topic.
Its been a long time since I have been able to say I enjoyed my writing, or even that I was proud of my writing, and as I near the end of this class, I now am able to say both. It let me rediscover my voice, but also my love for writing. Though I did have trouble transitioning from my old rules which had been so pounded into my head that I could recite them in my sleep. However, as I wrote more and more the road became exceedingly less bumpy and I am now at a point that I and comfortable writing.
I have also never enjoyed writing about history and this class changed that too. In high school the sources we were aloud to use were very limited. Whether that be because of the dismal library resources or the “security” blocks on the computer, credible resources were few and far between. I even had one teacher tell me to just make up statistics, that no one really ever checked our sources. This class completely changed the way that I support my writing. It gave me a chance to access real resources from credible sources. I learned how to do much more efficient research, as well as how to cite the sources I found correctly.
As the end of this class comes closer, I feel that my writing strength has improved immensely. My love for writing has returned, which was something I thought a few months ago was not possible. I am sad to see this class end, and I wish that it went much longer then one quarter. But what I have learned and gained in this quarter is going to stay with me for the rest of my life, and I am forever grateful for the sense of pride that it gave me for my writing.
This class has been far from easy, but it was challenging in the exact way that I needed. I knew that all of my writing in the last two years, with the exception of one piece is total crap, because that is what I had been programmed to write. Crap that got the grade instead of actually allowing me to talk about how I felt on the topic.
Its been a long time since I have been able to say I enjoyed my writing, or even that I was proud of my writing, and as I near the end of this class, I now am able to say both. It let me rediscover my voice, but also my love for writing. Though I did have trouble transitioning from my old rules which had been so pounded into my head that I could recite them in my sleep. However, as I wrote more and more the road became exceedingly less bumpy and I am now at a point that I and comfortable writing.
I have also never enjoyed writing about history and this class changed that too. In high school the sources we were aloud to use were very limited. Whether that be because of the dismal library resources or the “security” blocks on the computer, credible resources were few and far between. I even had one teacher tell me to just make up statistics, that no one really ever checked our sources. This class completely changed the way that I support my writing. It gave me a chance to access real resources from credible sources. I learned how to do much more efficient research, as well as how to cite the sources I found correctly.
As the end of this class comes closer, I feel that my writing strength has improved immensely. My love for writing has returned, which was something I thought a few months ago was not possible. I am sad to see this class end, and I wish that it went much longer then one quarter. But what I have learned and gained in this quarter is going to stay with me for the rest of my life, and I am forever grateful for the sense of pride that it gave me for my writing.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Essay 2 Reflection
When writing this essay, I experienced a few changes. The first of which being I was much more comfortable writing in my own voice. I had trouble transitioning from my old writing rules to the new on essay number one, but this essay was exceedingly less bumpy.
However I was not as proud of this paper as I was my last. Even though my last paper received a horrible score, it was one of the best things I had written in a very long time. And while my voice was stronger in this essay, I feel I had much less support and overall content then my last. It got to the point where I had to just buckle down and finish, whereas my last essay I always had something to write about. Even writing this reflection on this essay is hard for me.
But in the end I came out with a finished product that was in my opinion not horrible but far from the best thing I have ever written. I am certainly glad to be done with it, but still excited with the fact that my voice is growing stronger the more I write.
However I was not as proud of this paper as I was my last. Even though my last paper received a horrible score, it was one of the best things I had written in a very long time. And while my voice was stronger in this essay, I feel I had much less support and overall content then my last. It got to the point where I had to just buckle down and finish, whereas my last essay I always had something to write about. Even writing this reflection on this essay is hard for me.
But in the end I came out with a finished product that was in my opinion not horrible but far from the best thing I have ever written. I am certainly glad to be done with it, but still excited with the fact that my voice is growing stronger the more I write.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Essay 2: Rough Draft 2
Being from Maryland, some may say that my decision to become a patriot in these last few years was made for me. That my being from a predominantly patriotic state my surroundings have influenced my abilities to make an informed decision on my own. (Alden Allan 283-292) However that is my case this is far from true. I am a strong believer that when something is broke, you fix it. I believe that the current government is broken. I am a patriot because I want to see that system fixed. I am a patriot because I am not going to sit back and be manipulated any longer. I refuse to keep on being a subordinate to an evil master, who only has their best interest in mind instead of mine.
In my point of view, there is no turning back anymore. Thomas Paine said it best when he said, “A new method of thinking hath arisen” (Paine 28). Too much has been done to the colonies, for us to go back to serving such an evil master. We have been oppressed and exploited for far too long. All of our attempts at peace were ignored. Now it is time for action. Our power against them that has certainly been demonstrated in the last few years. Not to mention that we have proved that we can not only govern ourselves in times of great stress, but we also have shown that we can govern successfully.
We are now to the point that reconciliation is near impossible. When our choices are, fight for the very slim chance that we can go back to being ruled by a corrupt government, or take up arms and fight for our rights and get to not only govern ourselves, but be able to keep a close eye on that government so that nothing like this ever happens again, the choice seems obvious to me. However nothing we do will work unless we come together to make the decision that will best benefit us all.
The New York Committee of Fifty-One hit it right on the head when they expressed that the situation we are currently in, involves not only just the patriots, or a few select colonies, but a whole continent. (New York Committee of Fifty-One). We have to come together and organize if we want to have any hope of successfully facing the problems in front of us. England is exploiting our every weakness, and being unorganized is one of the biggest weaknesses we can have. In my home state we realized this, and now we have our own form of organized government. The Committee of 51 was probably right when they said that “"No remedy can be of avail unless it proceeds from the joint acts and approbation of all."” but if we cannot convince the rest of the colonies of this, at least we will be prepared. No one should have to live in a government without rights.
Rights are exceedingly important to everyone in the new world. Our ancestors first came here because it represented a new beginning and new chances for them. What should have been great new opportunities turned into horrible subjugation for all involved. For these reasons, in Maryland’s constitution has a very clear and open declaration of rights. The most important of which, in my opinion is “That freedom of speech and debate, or proceedings in the Legislature, ought not to be impeached in any Court of Judicature.” (Declaration of Rights Article 10). No more wrongful persecution of those who deserve no such punishment. This constitution represents everything we have fought for, everything we have won the right to have as Americans.
In my opinion, there are no legitimate reasons to stay loyal to the crown. You may say that my statehood has something to do with that. You may say that everyone and all the situations within Maryland has caused me to sway in one direction. But the way I see it, its only common sense. I don’t hate Britain, but I surely hate being oppressed by them. When I have the power to help create my own form of government that can be much more closely monitored, I see no reason not to take part.
Bibliography:
Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. 1776
New York Committee of Fifty-One, Letter from the New York Committee of Fifty-One to the Boston Committee of Correspondence. 1774.
Alden Allan, Anne. "Patriots and Loyalists: The Choice of Political Allegiances by the Members of Maryland's Proprietary Elite." The Journal of Southern History May 1972: 283-292.
Ninth Provincial Convention. Constitution of Maryland. Maryland State Archives
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